


Ruby Red Wolf

by sidhe_faerie



Series: Once Upon A Land Challenges [37]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-04
Updated: 2014-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-18 03:39:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1413715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidhe_faerie/pseuds/sidhe_faerie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby had to remember the one thing to help her gain control.<br/>-<br/>Written for Round 7 Once Madness on OnceUponALand</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ruby Red Wolf

**Title:** Ruby Red Wolf  
 **Characters:** Ruby, Archie, Granny  
 **Rating:** G  
 **Summary:** Ruby had to remember the one thing to help her gain control.  
 **Word Count:** 1253

 

 

 **Ruby Red Wolf**  
Ruby woke up in the woods again for the fourth morning in a row. It was beginning to be a problem. Not only did she not know where she was when she woke up but she didn’t know how she had gotten there. The wolf had taken over and she couldn’t remember anything.

Ruby stood up and shook the leaves off of her sweater. She knew her hair was full leaves and she was probably dirty. It was the same thing whenever she woke up in the woods around Storybrooke. 

In the Enchanted Forest, it was easier. There she had some control. Here in Storybrooke she had no control over anything. It was frustrating that even when she wasn’t a wolf she didn’t know what was going on with her life.

She quickly found a trail out of the woods and walked the short distance to the back door of Granny’s. She hoped to sneak back in and get in the shower before she was seen.

“Red, where have you been?” Granny asked as Ruby’s foot hit the first step to the rooms upstairs.

“The wolf took me again.” Ruby faced granny. “Its full moon you know.”

“I know I feel it too.” Granny said. “I thought you had gotten control of it again.”

“No.” Ruby shook her head. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“You did it before and you can do it again.” Granny said as she reached up and pulled a leaf out of Ruby’s hair. “Go take a shower and get to work.”

“What time is it?” Ruby asked. “It looks like it’s almost noon.”

“Noon? It’s nearly two in the afternoon.” Granny said. “You’re going to be on the dinner shift tonight.” 

“Great! I’ll probably turn in the middle of my shift and attack the meatloaf.” Ruby rolled her eyes.

“That would be one way for me to get rid of it. I don’t think it’s doing any better as the special either. Maybe we should just drop it from the menu.” Granny said.

“Stop putting so much pepper in it and it wouldn’t have to be a special.” Ruby said with a laugh.

“I never said I could cook.” Granny glared at her.

“No you just run a diner.” Ruby laughed and ran up the stairs.

“I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor about things.” Granny called up behind her.

Ruby got in the shower and let the water run over her. She watched the dirt and leaves swirl at the bottom of the tub. The heat of the water alerted her to some scratches on her legs and arms.

“Really need to stay out of the brambles.” Ruby sighed as she looked where the stinging was.

If Ruby had control then she would be able to stay out of them. What she had to do was remember how she controlled it before the curse. She knew someone who could help her. She needed to talk to Archie. He would know what to do to help her remember.

Ruby washed her red streaked hair and got out of the shower. She pulled the leaves out of the drain and rinsed the dirt out of the tub. She quickly dressed and headed down the stairs to the diner.

Ruby would talk to Archie when he came to the diner for dinner. He always came in around seven.

She entered the diner and Granny smiled at her.

“You look much better. The dead leaves in your hair are just not a good look with the red streaks.” Granny said. She looked at Ruby’s arms and legs. “You have scratches all over you.”

“I must have been running through the brambles near the stream. The scratches aren’t very deep.” Ruby said. “They don’t even sting anymore.”

“There is some antibiotic cream in the first aid kit. Go put it on all of them.” Granny said.

“I hope it’s a big tube I have lots of scratches.” Ruby said.

“It’s big enough.” Granny pointed her to the kitchen door. “Feel lucky that is all you have.”

Archie was late that night but only by twenty minutes. Ruby thought she was going to explode as she waited for him to arrive. Those extra twenty minutes were hell.

“Archie, I wonder if I could talk to you.” Ruby sat down on the other side of the booth after she put his dinner in front of him.

“Sure what do you want to talk about?” Archie smiled. He always like to talk to her.

“How do you remember something you have forgotten? Is there some special way of jogging a person’s memory?” Ruby asked. “I need help remembering something.”

“There is hypnosis but that is for extreme cases.” Archie said. “What is it that you forgot that you want to remember?”

“I forgot how to control my wolf side. It wasn’t a problem until after the curse was broken. I didn’t wake up in the woods before then.” Ruby said.

“Ah. I see.” Archie smiled. “Why don’t you come over tomorrow when you have a moment and we can give hypnosis a try.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it.” Ruby smiled at him.

“Red, order is up for table 6.” Granny called from the counter. She glanced at Archie and raised an eyebrow.

“I better get back to work.” Ruby stood up. “Do you need anything else?”

“Um did I see cherry pie over there?” Archie asked.

“I’ll bring you a slice in just a few.” Ruby said as she made a note on his tab.

“Thanks.” Archie watched as she went to the counter to claim the order for the other table.

Ruby managed to give Archie his cherry pie before the moon triggered her transformation. She ran out the back door as her wolf self.  

Suddenly, Ruby let her fear go and became calmer. She thought that maybe fear was what was wrong. She was afraid of what she would do and who she would hurt as the wolf.

Fear was what was holding her back. Now she had some control as she walked the trails and chased a rabbit. She could be free as long as she wasn’t afraid.

The next morning Granny found Ruby curled up on the back porch on a rug. Granny smiled. She was glad that Ruby had finally found a way to control the one thing she struggled with.

Across the street, Archie opened his door and Ruby appeared.

“Hi. I was just getting in.” Archie said. “Do you want to talk now?”

“No. I figured out what it was that I couldn’t remember last night. I have to be fearless. Well I have to stop being afraid.” Ruby brought a stuffed wolf from behind her back. “Thanks anyway for offering to help me.”

“It wasn’t any trouble.” Archie said as he took the toy. “Ruby, I think I should follow your advice. I should stop being afraid.”

“What are you afraid of doing?” Ruby asked.

“This.” Archie kissed her on the lips. It was soft and warm but not very long. He pulled back and blushed. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“I’m glad that you did.” Ruby laughed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him until they were both breathless.

Granny caught sight of them from across the street and smiled. She was wondering when Ruby and Archie would get around to doing that. She was glad to see it finally happen. Maybe now all the pieces of her granddaughter could live in harmony.


End file.
